If you thought the idea of a bill that would straight-up cancel hunting, fishing and even farming was something that would simply wander off and die somewhere, you, like me, would be wrong. By turning the dial up to about 11, Oregon’s animal rights crowd is continuing to shove Initiative Petition 28 right down our throats. The so-called “PEACE Act”, which was designed to treat hunting, fishing, and raising livestock like felonies, has officially submitted enough raw signatures to likely qualify for the November 2026 ballot.
According to the Oregon Secretary of State, supporters dropped off 120,935 signatures on May 20, clearing the 117,173 raw threshold needed. That’s a decent little cushion heading into verification, though we all know how these things go with invalid signatures, duplicates, and non-voters getting tossed. Still, the fact that this thing even got this far should have every hunter, angler, farmer, and rural Oregonian paying attention.
In case you have not been following along, IP28 isn’t just some mild animal welfare tweak. This thing is a full-frontal assault on the exemptions in Oregon’s animal cruelty laws that would make the intentional injury or killing of pretty much any animal a felony offense by dropping carve-outs for hunting, fishing, trapping, slaughtering livestock for food, pest control and even artificial insemination (that’s assault, brother).
Oregon Hunters Association
The pitch that the bill would only serve to “protect sentient animals from unnecessary harm” might sound awfully noble for those with a 2nd grade education but the fact remains that Oregon is already home to some pretty strict anti-cruelty laws.
If this nightmare passes (which is still a big if at this point), the economic body count would be brutal. Hunting and fishing alone pour millions into Oregon’s rural economies through licenses, gear, guides, and tourism. Take that away and you’re not just hurting weekend warriors, you’re torching small businesses, outfitters, and communities already struggling.
The chief petitioners have basically admitted this one is probably DOA at the polls in 2026 but then again, none of us (including them) thought it would get this far to begin with. Even if this thing gets mauled at the ballot box (very likely), the initiative’s leaders maintain that they are playing the long game. Their goal is ultimately to use the ballot to shift public opinion, build their organization, and keep coming back like a bad rash.
It’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see how it plays out.
In the meantime, opponents like the Sportsmen’s Alliance, Oregon Hunters Association, Native American Tribes in Oregon and farm groups have been shoring up resources for the fight and are showing no signs of backing down.
From where things stand today, signatures still need full verification (expect ~20% to be shaved off), and if it does make the ballot, expect a massive turnout from sportsmen, ranchers, and anyone who understands where their food and wildlife management actually come from.
This level of radicalism deserves to get crushed at the polls — preferably with a margin big enough to discourage the next round of this nonsense.
